KNUST assures Ebola readiness as school resumes Monday

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology says measures are in place to protect the university community from the Ebola virus, as students arrive for the new academic year.

The university re-opens on Monday after the University Teachers Association of Ghana ended a one-month strike over book and research allowances.

The Education Ministry asked public universities to prepare an Ebola preparedness plan in an effort to contain the disease in case of an outbreak.

The plans would then be forwarded to the inter-ministerial committee on the Ebola Viral Disease for validation by health experts.

The Education Ministry’s request to the public universities was partly because most tertiary institutions have students coming from West African countries.

Deputy Registrar of KNUST, who doubles as University Relations Officer of the school, Vincent Ankamah-Lomotey, told Luv News the university has as an airtight plan to contain an outbreak.

“Fortunately, the Isolation Centre in Kumasi [Suntreso Government Hospital] is so close to us so in case we need to transport someone it will be done easily.

“But I guess we may have a small place around the Students’ clinic set aside to augment it. I believe once we have a place where you can seclude them [potential Ebola patients] from others, then we can say we have a place for them.

He said the school has also procured infra-red devices as well as protective clothing for health workers.

The country’s boarders and ports have been reported to be porous in its preparedness to contain a possible case as foreigners enter the country without screening.

Mr. Ankamah-Lomotey wants intensified screening at borders and ports in order to reduce the burden on tertiary institutions.

Students are due to report on next Monday after staying home for almost two weeks, partly due to a month-long strike by lecturers.

The 2014/15 academic year was expected to last for 16 weeks beginning second week of August but for the UTAG strike.

Though, Mr. Lomotey acknowledges the possible pressure ready to stare students in the face, he insists the academic calendar remains unchanged.

Some students who spoke to Luv News fear impending pressure from the backlog of work.